Top 10 whiskeys for beginners

[Mark Rippetoe]

If you drink 110 proof bourbon at 110 proof, you don't know how the whiskey actually tastes. I assure you that educated drinkers prefer to taste all the components of an expensive whiskey, so as not to waste the money. As I explained, carefully watering it down to 80 proof allows more solubles to fall out of the alcohol fraction, making them accessible to your palate.

[hollismb]

Those Knob bottles are a personal barrel pick. It's 11 year, 7 month Knob Creek and it's 120 proof. It's excellent.

Also Old Grand Dad 114 is a Jim Beam product.

Basil Hayden's is aged OGD114 and if they made it in barrel proof, it would probably be in my top 5 best whiskeys. It's a shame they make it at 80.

Word on the street (and by street, I mean the internets) and confirmed today by our nearby liquor store, is that the OGD 114 has been discontinued, so you may want to consider bunkering a few bottles if it's one you like. This has been a debunked rumor in the past, so if it turns out to be the case again, don't shoot me.

[jyp]

Rip- I need to call out your disparagement of blended whiskey as the microaggression that it is due to your whiskey privilege against those of us that languish in the First Class lounge of the Shanghai Airport preparing for the 16 hour flight back to Texas. Johnny Walker Black on ice chased with a Chinese beer that I thought was licensed BudLight but is actually created this way on purpose is nectar of the Gods compared to their Tequila which is named after some corruption of a Central American people long forgotten...
Please remember those who are more misfortunate than yourself...

[Mark Rippetoe]

Chinese tequila would be made from Jet A, right there at the airport.

[jyp]

So that's what it was! It did seem a bit too flammable...

[mephisto]

Rip- I need to call out your disparagement of blended whiskey as the microaggression that it is due to your whiskey privilege against those of us that languish in the First Class lounge of the Shanghai Airport preparing for the 16 hour flight back to Texas. Johnny Walker Black on ice chased with a Chinese beer that I thought was licensed BudLight but is actually created this way on purpose is nectar of the Gods compared to their Tequila which is named after some corruption of a Central American people long forgotten...
Please remember those who are more misfortunate than yourself...

Rip - I am actually curious as to why you disparage blended whisky. Is it a philosophical objection or did you just not enjoy the ones you've had so far? I don't know much about American blended whiskey but there are some absolutely superb Japanese blends (Hibiki 17/21, Nikki Taketsuru 21) and some pretty fantastic blended Scotch (mainly from custom blenders like The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Blended Whisky Co., but also the likes of Monkey Shoulder and even some Johnnie Walkers (I know a lot of you might disagree about this one) - Green and Blue in particular).

[Mark Rippetoe]

It's not the blending I object to. There are obviously some very nice vatted malts. "Blended whisky" is malt whisky mixed with grain whiskey, and is a different product.

[Bug War]

The best Irish whiskey out there at the moment are things like Powers John's Lane Edition and various Redbreast offerings like their 15 year old cask strength. For me the pot still element is the common thread, and even if you take the likes of Green Spot it's there too.

Considering you've mentioned you find both Powers and Redbreast 'flavourless' then obviously you won't agree but I have to say I'm scratching my head at your affection for Connemara. If I wanted to drink something peated then no one does it better than Islay or another Island distillery.

Besides, Beam Inc. doesn't Cooley Distilling who produce Connemara...?

Anyway, my list-

1. Powers Johns Lane Edition
2. Redbreast 12 year old
3. Green Spot
4. Glenmorangie 12 year old
5. Auchentoshan American Oak
6. Laphraoig 10 year old
7. Glen Grant 10 year old
8. Anything American, it's all very similar
9. Yamazaki 12 year old
10. Nikka From The Barrel

[Bug War]

The best Irish whiskey out there at the moment are things like Powers John's Lane Edition and various Redbreast offerings like their 15 year old cask strength. For me the pot still element is the common thread, and even if you take the likes of Green Spot it's there too.

Considering you've mentioned you find both Powers and Redbreast 'flavourless' then obviously you won't agree but I have to say I'm scratching my head at your affection for Connemara. If I wanted to drink something peated then no one does it better than an Islay (or other island) distillery.

Besides, doesn't Beam Inc. own Cooley Distilling who produce Connemara...?

I'm sorry, I rushed writing the above.

Corrections made.

[Red Finn]

I just want to mention Lot 40, which is one of the few whiskeys that's priced more cheaply in Canada than in the US (about $35 CAD where I am). I believe Reynolds will back me up on this.